Alto Valeur
Alto Valeur is a city on the Inner Colony of New Corsica. It is located on Fleurdelis' southwestern coast in the Kavos district and is the continent's largest city and capital. The city is widely known for being a major utopia, tourist destination and large variety of mixed cultures. It is also a major hub for intercolonial business and military defense and continues to be one of the fastest growing urban areas on the planet. From New Corsica's Prime Meridian, Alto Valeur is the westernmost major city on the planet. The general meaning of Alto Valeur is a rough translation of "High Valor" in Italian, keeping in tradition of naming major New Corsican cities in the southern hemisphere in the Italian language. Alto Valeur is located on the southern coastline of Kavos, one of the three county districts that make up the continent of Fleurdelis, the other two being Nassar and the Northeast Fleurdelis Territory. The city consistently ranks among the top 5 most desirable places to live by the STARS Magazine. History The earliest recorded settlement of Alto Valeur was in early 2407 where discovery of Fleurdelis was made from explorers traveling westward from Ru during the New Corsican Refinement Renaissance. The settlement was officially established on April 6, 2407 after initial searching for the desired raw elements around the shores proved fruitless. During its foundation, the population was about 7,000. Famed explorer Lily E. Jennings and Captain Manuela Alonso are widely considered to be the initial founders of Alto Valeur and the two are memorialized by statues on the city center just two blocks from Fleurdelis' national government seat. Following recognition by the Unified Earth Government and the First Republic of New Corsica, Alto Valeur rapidly grew despite its distance from most of the other communities. Alto Valeur remained out of the Inner Colony Wars and the Venom Conflict, although many Valeurians expressed sympathy for the Venom Party and partook in daily protests in the Capitol District. During this time, the UNSC and NCRDF built up fortifications and a military base on Turbin Island to defend the city from attack. Operation: FIXED BAYONET was the codename for the joint effort in bolstering patrols and preparation to make Fleurdelis the last line of defense in the event of a complete Venom Wing takeover. This operation never truly went into action as the UNSC launched an offensive on the other continents and drove the radicals out of Cravate to regain control. Geography Neighborhoods and Districts * Downtown Alto Valeur: The financial, commercial and business center for Fleurdelis. The main city is located on the southwest side at the waterfront. This is home to several of the city's tallest buildings including the famous 600 Stratosphere, a world-class residential area with multimillion dollar apartments. Currently the tallest building in the Alto Valeur area is the One Fleurdelis Tower that stands 302.4 meters. (992 feet) * Alto Valeur International Spaceport: The International Spaceport serving Alto Valeur metropolitan area. It is situated just east of downtown along the coastline. It offers flights both to destinations around New Corsica and select nearby colonies. Flight paths to and from the facility give travelers scenic views of the city or ocean while on departure or arrival. * Del Croix: The main arts district located northeast of downtown. It is home to multiple arts and cultural institutions. The Alto Valeur Academy of the Arts has their campus here. The Tablier building, where the JETS task force is headquartered, is close to the government district. Del Croix has many studio apartments in tall buildings that combine luxury with affordability. * Imperial Prais: This district is home to Prais Frais, the largest open air shopping area on the colony. In addition, there are several shopping centers located here including vendors that are nowhere else on the planet. Imperial Prais is located in between Blunaj and downtown. Additionally, the NCRDF has their primary garrison in Fleurdelis here. To the southwest is a light industrial area and large wharfs to accommodate maritime shipping. * Capitol: This district is located north of downtown but south of Del Croix. It is where the current and historic government seat is located. The Syracuse House on La Premier Boulevard is where the administrator both resides and runs the continent. * Beltin City: Beltin City is west of Del Croix and north of downtown. It is home to many middle and upper-middle class residents. Many outdoor parks and recreational facilities are located here. The famous Vintage Square is located at the southern section. * Ardisia Valley: Ardisia Valley is a large district at the north area of the city that comes just before the Montagne Sereno. The majority of the population here are in the upper class. Mansions have been built on the face of the mountain and are known to be quite lavish, famous and expensive. * Vista sait Rios: '''Nicknamed "VSR" Vista sait Rios is a residential district in between downtown and Del Croix. VSR is also home to the main campus of the University of New Corsica Alto Valeur (UNCAV) * '''Prentiss and Blunaj: These are industrial districts home to many working class residents and the bulk of Alto Valeur's factories. Recently, Blunaj has been the site of major developments including several tall housing buildings. These two areas are located at the northwest corner of the city. * Sonoma '''and '''Lougheed: North of Ayunean, these are major residential districts that ends just at the feet of the Montagne Sereno. Both of these neighborhoods are among the fastest growing in the city. * Kadaria and Ayunean: This is the main tourist area for Alto Valeur. Located along the shoreline to the south and east of downtown, it extends all along the edge of the Montagne Sereno mountain range. It is home to multiple hotels, shopping areas, nightclubs and tourist destinations. Both districts attract nearly 13 million visitors annually. * Turbin Island: Turbin Island is located east of Del Croix in the Kadar Ocean and is accessible by the Burnaby and Laurent-Ildo bridges. It is home to the UNSC garrison where both Navy and Spartan branch facilities are present at the Naval Base named after the isle. The NCRDF shares joint custody of the island and occasionally participate in exercises with the UNSC here, although their primary garrison on Fleurdelis is in Imperial Prais. It is named after Major George C. Turbin, who led UNSC forces in Alto Valeur's development and drove off Venom influences as they attempted to invade from Ru. * Point Lookout: Point Lookout is the north-easternmost sub-city of Alto Valeur roughly seven miles away from Lougheed. It is popular for tourists due to its elevated craggy cliffs, magnificent views of the Kadar Ocean and the sunrise appearing over the oceanside. Many of the surrounding Natomas islands can be seen here. Isolation Alto Valeur is one of the most isolated cities in both New Corsica and throughout the Inner Colonies being the largest urban area in a rather backwater continent. The closest settlement with at least five hundred thousand people is Casalta, Zuani, Ru which is approximately 1540 miles northeast. Falls of Intimacy This remote area of lakes and waterfalls, nicknamed "Lover's Lake" is famous for its privacy and romantic destination is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Point Lookout at the foot of several streams flowing down from the Montagne Sereno. Demographics Alto Valeur is Fleurdelis' most populous city and the seventh most populous on New Corsica overall, surpassing Casalta in the 2480s. In the 2555 census, the area's statistical population was 1,486,834 inhabitants. The majority of the original settlers on Alto Valeur trace their ancestry from California in the United Republic of North America. As with most other New Corsican cities, large groups of predominantly French, Italian, Tahitian and North American are also present. One in every five residents in Alto Valeur have no professed religion, with another one in five unspecific to their beliefs. Economy Culture Although it is renowned throughout the colonies, the Falls of Intimacy, is just off of Point Lookout. Nicknamed "Lover's Lake" it is a series of several waterfalls and shallow lakes of crystal clear mountain water. An old Valeurian legend has passed on that teenagers and young adults, typically children of the early settlers found the system of streams to escape the watch of their parents for intimate activity. It is a common practice that couples deeply in love with one another to bathe and spend time together here. There is a strong belief that visiting this place with a lover will cause the relationship to last forever. The area is privately owned and operated by a family since 2410. While it is immensely popular with the youth of New Corsica, the tradition has spread to the other colonies. Many young couples from Earth and several other planets come to the falls to symbolize their unbreakable love. Law Enforcement Alto Valeur is patrolled by the Alto Valeur Police Department (AVPD). Other sub-unit police departments operate independently from one another depending on the sub-city and location. Some areas such as Sonoma and Lougheed have share a force collectively known as the Sonoma-Lougheed Police. Overall, the greater Alto Valeur area has roughly 5,500 active personnel. AVPD is augmented by the Kavos SWAT department, responsible for counter-terror operations. Beginning in 2551, the continent administrator of Fleurdelis established the Joint Enforcement Tactical Specialist Task Force. This was a specialized crime-fighting group that undertook cases of utmost importance and the gathering and pursuit of the most dangerous criminals to walk Alto Valeur's streets. The JETS do not report to AVPD, instead being funded and run by the administration. They do however, perform joint operations and exercises with both AVPD and SWAT. UNSC Presence Since the Venom Party's coup in 2497, the UNSCDF has maintained a considerable presence in Alto Valeur. Many of the radical leaders believed that if the entire planet was overrun from their control, this would be where the UNSC would make their final stand. That scenario never happened as the Venom Wing Party was crippled and fragmented in 2499. As of the end of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC's main garrison on Fleurdelis is on Turbin Island, just east off of the coast. Turbin Naval Station is located here with drydocks capable of holding both water and space-borne vessels. A repair and rearm station for the Prowler Corps is located further north on Fleurdelis' west coast. Turbin Island is the home to the Spartan's 37th Special Shock Development Group as one of its two primary facilities. (The other is in Coronado, California, URNA) The Spartan facility has a smaller version of the War Games simulation that can be linked to other programs such as the UNSC Infinity to perform joint exercises. Appearances * Old Wounds (First appearance) * JETS Files